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The solution

The need to create effective local self governing institutions at the grassroots level

We need to give complete control over funds, functions and functionaries to citizens’ assemblies at local level. We need to create effective platforms in both rural and urban areas, where people could meet and collectively take decisions, which should be binding on local bureaucracy.

Overview of Swaraj

Swaraj will transfer control of local area's funds, functions and functionaries to the citizens of the area. It will decentralize decision-making, distribute executive power to the level of the average citizen and ensure accountability of the bureaucray. This will be achieved by creating small units of cohesive citizens' assemblies: "Gram Sabha" in rural areas and "Mohalla Sabha" in urban areas. Each assembly will meet monthly and collectively take decisions. The bureaucracy will be forced to abide by these decisions and can be taken to task at the local level if they fail to perform. Assemblies will have complete control over assets/functions and institutionalized channels for influencing decisions on larger issues with local implications. Each assembly will receive a significant percentage of state/municipal annual budget (plan expenditure) funds.

We have built strong central and state governments, which could deal with issues at the central and state levels. Likewise, Panchayats in rural areas and municipalities in urban areas were designed to act as institutions of local self-governance, to handle local issues. However, they have been rendered ineffective by successive governments.

For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, the total funds provided on an average to a Panchayat of an average population of 15,000 last year were less then Rs 5 lakh. What can a Panchayat do with such meagre amount? It cannot even get two roads paved with this money.

While Panchayats are being starved of resources to address local needs, local mohalla or village level problems are being attempted to be solved through grandiose schemes from state and central capitals. Obviously, it cannot work. The country or even a state is so diverse in its geography, cultures and other circumstances that the government must assume a local form to address the local needs of the people. The solutions of governance can only vary from place to place. One size cannot fit all.

There is an immediate need to make panchayats and municipalities into effective institutions of local self-governance. This would enable people to solve their day to day problems themselves. They would also be able to voice their opinion on state and central matters. Then they would not be so helpless. We are convinced that this is the surest way to deal with many of the fissiparous tendencies in our country including Naxalism.

Power should lie with peoples’ assemblies as in ancient India and other Countries

The most important precondition for success of any institution of local self governance is that the ultimate power should lie with peoples’ assemblies rather than elected representatives of the people.

Can peoples’ assemblies take decisions? Yes they can, provided that rules are laid down for the conduct of such meetings. Local self-governance has flourished in Switzerland, Brazil, the US, and many other countries. Interestingly, local democracy was also practised in ancient India.

Peoples’ Power in Contemporary India

In today’s rural India, peoples’ assemblies are called Gram Sabhas. In case of urban areas, we do not have any such bodies. Unfortunately, most states’ Panchayati Raj laws give all powers to elected representatives while the Gram Sabhas are rendered powerless. Not surprisingly, these ‘peoples representatives’ have turned corrupt. People feel as helpless in holding their Panchayat representatives accountable, as they do MLAs or MPs. There is no “self-governance” in our system of panchayats and municipalities either.

It is heartening to note that Madhya Pradesh has taken some progressive steps. In 2002, it empowered Gram Sabhas to withhold the salaries of government officials who do not perform satisfactorily. The measure seems to be working. Gram Sabhas of three villages used this power to withhold the salaries of some school teachers, who were playing truant; they immediately started turning up to take classes.

Institutionalizing and nurturing people’s assembles in every village and mohalla in the country would help them solve their day to day problems, encourage them to directly participate in governance and express opinions on issues concerning state and central Governments.